NEW YORK � It's called the Segway Human Transporter, but the Pentagon is drafting the two-wheeled scooter as part of a plan to develop battlefield robots that think on their own and communicate with troops.
The program is still in the research phase, so the self-balancing scooters aren't expected to report to boot camp anytime soon.
Obviously we aren't going to see a return on this tomorrow, but it raises some eyebrows. Not to replace human soldiers, but to assist them, kind of an expendable point man. But with large military lasers already developed and in testing, with computer power doubling every few years, materials science progressing, power sources...........How many decades before something like this makes it's debut?
No other nation as far as I know has nearly so many irons in the fire on military research. Not in variety or in levels of funding. It looks like we plan to own the battlefield in the 22nd century as well.
Works for me.
The Japanese are having serious problems with some of their satellites because of the effects of the monster solar flare we are experiencing. I haven't seen any reports about the Russians, French, Indian, Chinese, British or the US of A having any problems at all.
Am I missing something, or is it a uniquely Japanese problem? Perhaps insuffecient shielding on their part? Also, don't we shield ours against EMP pulses, and would that protect them in this case?
Drudge, on a roll today.
If true, how common could this be? Plus, why would it sink a ship? Why would the bubbles not just break on the surface around it, elicit a "who farted" question, and the ship sail on?
A weird little Halloween mystery.